The Society for Maintenance & Reliability Professionals’ board of directors has approved a program to develop programs, products and services in partnerships with its members. The program is titled the “Member Affinity/Partner Program.”
“The program is a natural fit for our entrepreneurial organizational model,” stated SMRP chairman David Staat, CMRP. “SMRP understands that members know what members want most. This new program allows supplier members to partner with SMRP to develop and implement programs products and services to meet member needs.”
Non-profit and for-profit organizations have long been considered uncomfortable partners. While SMRP and similar non-profit organizations’ actively seek corporate sponsorships, rarely are the for-profit organizations or entrepreneurial individuals given the opportunity to actively participate in the non-profit activities to the fullest extent. A recent survey conducted for a study titled “The Power of Partnerships” showed that 73 percent of companies say that partnerships with non-profits will be important in the next three years.
SMRP values its supplier members and realizes the value that they provide to the society and the membership. In order to add to the value of supplier membership, SMRP has developed the “Member Affinity/Partner Program.” This is a novel concept for non-profits that are more accustomed to viewing for-profit companies as either arms-length sponsors or market rivals.
Mike Howard, membership director of SMRP, explains that “The SMRP Member Affinity/Partner Program allows member companies to gain the most from their membership by offering them the opportunity to develop, promote and implement their programs, products and services in partnership with SMRP.”
Members that are interested in partnering with SMRP to provide a program, product or service to the industry or profession should submit a written proposal, including program features, benefits, cost conditions and the details to the Improve Member Services Committee. The Committee will screen the program against some very basic criteria:
· Not in competition with products already offered or endorsed by SMRP or SMRPCO.
· Compatible with professional and business practices and member audiences.
· Potential for revenue sharing.
· Compatible with SMRP Mission and within Society defined needs-fulfillment parameters and goals.
· A positive analysis related to costs and benefits.
If necessary, the member will fund research among SMRP audiences to determine if there is interest in the program.
The committee and staff will analyze research results and if a sufficient level of audience interest is evident, will present the proposed program to the board of directors. The board has recently approved the first program, which is with ABB Reliability Services to provide a series of workshops to members at no cost to SMRP members.
If you are interested in partnering with SMRP to develop a new or deliver your current program, product or service please send your proposal to info@smrp.org or call 800-950-7354 or 703-245-8011 for additional information.
SMRP provides an environment where companies discover and leverage reliability, enabling bottom line improvements. Chartered in 1992 as a non-profit organization, SMRP is a membership society that promotes information exchange through a network of reliability professionals, supports maintenance and reliability as integral part of business and asset management, and seeks to be a voice that advances innovative reliability practices.
With more than 3,000 members worldwide, including managers, engineers, technicians, planners, mechanics, electricians, operators, consultants and engineering students, SMRP is a global organization known for providing competitive advantage through information exchange, education and certification.